On View February 21 - March 15, 2026
Opening Reception Sunday, February 22nd, 1-4 pm
Sarah Nguyen is a mixed media artist, working primarily with paper. Storytelling is central to her hand-cut fiber panels and paintings. Her work has appeared in numerous national and international solo and group exhibitions and publications. Her work has been part of exhibitions in museums and festivals, including (but not limited to) Seattle’s Wing Luke Museum of Asian Pacific Experience, the Daum Museum, Pyramid Hill Sculpture Grounds and Museum, the Truman Museum, Cheekwood Estates & Gardens, and Kansas City’s 2018 Open Spaces. She has taken part in a number of artist residencies from around the world as a visiting artist and teacher, including Serbia, Bulgaria, Japan, and France, as well as the United States.
Sarah received her BFA in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and her MFA in Painting from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
My work evokes memory, play, ritual, the dissolving boundaries of waking life and dreams. I use a balance of abstract and representational forms in order to sever the connection between shape and meaning, connecting the viewer instead to the gesture of the brush or cut of the knife, so that s/he becomes complicit in the art. Folklore, reverence, and refinement of nature, and observance of daily life, are the concepts behind my work. Each scroll is hand-cut Tyvek, some measuring as large as 20ft long and 4ft wide. The work is suspended from the ceiling, away from the wall, using fishing wire. I draw inspiration from my heritage of traditional Jewish paper cuts. Jewish art reveals universal elements in its visual representation of animals.
Using folklore as the source of my artistic inspiration, I mean to return the viewer temporarily to a state of childhood, dwelling in the senses, immersed in the images of stories, experiencing the primacy of the physical. Whether the viewer, when they turn away from the paper scrolls, seeks mental liberation or sensory indulgence is a matter of significance for them. I am less interested in directing their conclusions as I am in revealing them. The desired effect of this body of work upon the viewer is self-investigation.
GALLERY HOURS & VISITOR INFORMATION
This exhibition will be held in the First Floor Gallery of the Evanston Art Center (EAC). Masks are optional but strongly recommended for students, visitors, and staff.
Gallery Hours
Monday–Thursday: 9am–6pm
Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday–Sunday: 9am–4pm
HOW TO PURCHASE ARTWORK
Artwork sale proceeds benefit both the artist and the Evanston Art Center. If you are interested in purchasing artwork on display, please contact Emma Rose Gudewicz, Director of Development and Exhibitions, at [email protected] or (847) 475-5300 x 102.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Image Credits: Sarah Nguyen